CompTIA A+ Core 2 (Exam 220-1102)

Instant Search

Windows feature allowing rapid search of apps, data folders, messages, and the web.

Windows Settings

Touch-enabled interface for managing user and system settings in Windows.

Control Panel

Legacy management interface for configuring user and system settings in Windows.

Microsoft account

Cloud-based SSO service allowing users to synchronize settings between multiple Windows devices.

Account Settings

Windows Settings pages relating to user account creation and maintenance.

User Accounts Applet

Control Panel app relating to user account creation and maintenance.

Privacy Settings

Windows Settings pages related to personal data collection and use.

Time & Language Settings

Windows Settings pages allowing configuration of default data formats (date, currency, and so on), location information, and keyboard input locale.

Personalization Settings

Windows Settings pages related to customizing the appearance of the desktop using themes.

Ease of Access

Windows Settings pages related to desktop and input/output device accessibility configuration.

OneDrive

Cloud storage service operated by Microsoft and closely integrated with Windows.

This PC

File system object representing a Windows computer and the disk drives installed to it.

Recycle Bin

When files are deleted from a local hard disk, they are stored in the Recycle Bin. They can be recovered from here if so desired.

File Explorer Options

Control Panel app related to view and browsing settings for File Explorer.

Indexing Options

Control Panel app related to search database maintenance.

System Settings

Windows Settings pages relating to basic and advanced system settings.

Update & Security Settings

Windows Settings pages related to configuring automatic patching, deploying feature updates, and managing security features.

Windows Security

Touch-enabled app for configuring features such as firewall and antivirus.

Devices settings

Windows Settings pages for using and configuring attached hardware.

Phone settings

Windows Settings pages for associating a smartphone with Windows.

Devices and Printers

Control Panel app for using and configuring attached hardware.

Device Manager

Primary interface for configuring and managing hardware devices in Windows. Device Manager enables the administrator to disable and remove devices, view hardware properties and system resources, and update device drivers.

Sound applet

Control Panel applet related to speaker and microphone configuration plus Windows sound events and notifications.

Standby

Power-saving mode where power to all compatible components except system memory is cut. Note that systems on standby still consume some electricity.

Hibernate

Power-saving state where the contents of memory are saved to hard disk (hiberfil.sys) and the computer is powered off. Restarting the computer restores the desktop.

Sleep

Power-saving mode in Windows. On a laptop, this functions much like standby, but on a desktop, the system also creates a hibernation file before entering the standby state.

Power Options

Control Panel app related to configuring power button/lid events and power-saving modes.

Fast Startup

Power-saving option allowing swift resume from sleep via an image of system memory contents saved to a hibernation file.

Apps

Windows Settings pages relating to configuration of Windows Features and third-party software apps.

Programs and Features

Control Panel applet allowing management of Windows Features and third-party software.

Mail applet

Control Panel applet related to configuration of Microsoft Outlook email accounts and storage files.

Gaming settings

Windows Settings pages related to game mode settings and Xbox integration.

Network & Internet

Windows Settings pages related to interface configuration, network profiles, and proxy configuration.

Network and Sharing Center

Control Panel related to interface configuration, network profiles, and discovery/file sharing settings.

Windows Defender Firewall

Built-in, host-based filtering of network connections.

Internet Options

Control Panel applet allowing configuration of the Internet Explorer web browser.

Administrative Tools

Folder in Control Panel containing default Microsoft management consoles used to configure the local system.

WinX menu

Start button shortcut menu with quick access to principal configuration and management utilities.

Run dialog

Windows interface for executing commands.

Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc)

Console related to initializing, partitioning, and formatting disk drives.

Storage Spaces

Windows feature for creating a single storage resource from multiple devices. Data can be protected against device failure by RAID-like mirroring or parity.

Defragment and Optimize Drives tool (dfrgui.exe)

Fragmentation occurs when a data file is not saved to contiguous sectors on an HDD and reduces performance. The defragmenter mitigates this and can also perform optimization operations for SSDs.

Disk Clean-up (cleanmgr.exe)

Windows utility for removing temporary files to reclaim disk space.

Task Scheduler (tasksch.msc)

Enables execution of an action (such as running a program or a script) automatically at a pre-set time or in response to some sort of trigger.

Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc)

Console for creating and managing user and group accounts with the authentication and permissions scope of the local system.

Certificate Manager console (certmgr.msc)

Console related to managing digital certificates for the current user and trusted root certification authority certificates.

Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)

Console related to configuring detailed user and system registry settings via policies.

Registry Editor (regedit.exe)

Tool for making direct edits to the registry database, such as adding or modifying keys or values. The Registry Editor can be used to make backups of the registry.

Registry

In the Windows registry, a key is analogous to a folder on the file system. Keys are used to group like settings together in a hierarchy that is logical to navigate.

Hives

File storing configuration data corresponding to a section of the Windows registry.

Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

Utility allowing Windows administrative tools to be added as snap-ins to a single interface.

System Information (msinfo32.exe)

Utility that provides a report of the PC's hardware and software configuration.

Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc)

Windows console related to viewing and exporting events in the Windows logging file format.

Task Manager (taskmgr.exe)

Windows utility used to monitor and manage process execution, resource utilization, user sessions, startup settings, and service configuration.

Process

Software program that has been executed and is running in system memory.

Startup

Apps and scripts set to run when the computer starts or when the user signs in. Startup items can be configured as shortcuts, registry entries, or Task Scheduler triggers.

Services (services.msc)

Windows machines run services to provide functions; for example, Plug-and-Play, the print spooler, DHCP client, and so on. These services can be viewed, configured, and started/stopped via the Services console. You can also configure which services run at startup using msconfig. You can view background services (as well as applications) using the Processes tab in Task Manager.

Resource Monitor (resmon.exe)

Console for live monitoring of resource utilization data for the CPU and GPU, system memory, disk/file system, and network.

Performance Monitor (perfmon.msc)

Console for reporting and recording resource utilization via counter data for object instances.

System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe)

Utility for configuring Windows startup settings.

cmd.exe

Basic shell interpreter for Windows.

Run as administrator

Windows feature that requires a task to be explicitly launched with elevated privileges and consented to via UAC.

Directory

File system object used to organize other file system objects into containers.

dir command

Command-line utility that displays information about the contents of the current directory.

cd command

Command-line tool used to navigate the directory structure.

move command

Command-line tool for moving files.

copy command

Command-line tool for copying files.

xcopy command

Command-line directory and file copy utility offering improved functionality compared to the basic copy command.

robocopy command

Command-line file copy utility recommended for use over the older xcopy.

md command

Command-line tool for creating directories.

rmdir

Command-line tool for deleting directories. The /s switch enables the deletion of non-empty directories.

diskpart

Command-line utility used to configure disk partitions.

format command

Command-line utility for creating a file system on a partition.

X:

Command-line utility used to select the working drive.

chkdsk

Command-line tool that verifies the integrity of a disk's file system.

shutdown command

Command-line tool for shutting down or restarting the computer. The command is supported by Windows and Linux, though with different syntax.

System File Checker

Command-line utility that checks the integrity of system and device driver files.

winver command

Command-line tool for reporting Windows version information.

Windows

Windows started as version 3.1 for 16-bit computers. A workgroup version provided rudimentary network facilities. Windows NT 4 workstations and servers (introduced in 1993) provided reliable 32-bit operation and secure network facilities, based around domains. The Windows 9x clients (Windows 95, 98, and Me) had far-lower reliability and support only for workgroups but were still hugely popular as home and business machines. Windows 2000 and Windows XP workstations married the hardware flexibility and user interface of Windows 9x to the reliability and security of Windows NT, while the server versions saw the introduction of Active Directory for managing network objects. The subsequent client releases of Windows (Vista/7/8/8.1) feature a substantially different interface (Aero) with 3D features as well as security improvements. The latest client versions—Windows 10 and Windows 11—are designed for use with touch-screen devices.

macOS

Proprietary OS designed by Apple for their range of iMac computers, Mac workstations, and MacBook portables.

UNIX

UNIX is a family of more than 20 related operating systems that are produced by various companies. It can run on a wide variety of platforms. UNIX offers a multitude of file systems in addition to its native system. UNIX remains widely deployed in enterprise data centers to run mission-critical applications and infrastructure.

Linux

Open-source OS packaged in distributions supported by a wide range of hardware and software vendors.

Chrome OS

Proprietary OS developed by Google to run on specific laptop (chromebooks) and PC (chromeboxes) hardware.

iPadOS

OS for some models of the Apple iPad tablet.

iOS

OS for Apple's iPhone smartphone and most iPad tablet models.

Update Limitations

Product life cycle and procurement consideration where a device or product no longer receives a full range of updates or support from its vendor

Android

Cell phone/smartphone/tablet OS developed by the Open Handset Alliance (primarily driven by Google). Unlike iOS, it is an open-source OS, based on Linux.

File System

Structure for file data indexing and storage created by a process of formatting a partition that allows an OS to make use of a mass storage device, such as an HDD, SSD, or thumb drive.

New Technology File System (NTFS)

64-bit default file system for Windows, with file-by-file compression and RAID support as well as advanced file attribute management tools, encryption, and disk quotas.

FAT32

32-bit file system used principally for system partitions and removable media.

exFAT

64-bit version of the FAT file system with support for larger partition and file sizes.

ext3

Standard Linux file system that includes journaling and has since been replaced with ext4

Apple File System (APFS)

Default file system for macOS-based computers and laptops.

Compatibility Concerns

Considerations that must be made when using an app in an environment with multiple device and OS platforms.

End of Life (EOL)

Product life-cycle phase where mainstream vendor support is no longer available.

Desktop

Graphical OS interface that allows programs to run within window containers. Desktop styles include tools for launching apps, such as the Windows Start Menu, and managing apps, such as the Windows taskbar. Changes to the desktop style over the course of version and feature updates can be confusing for users.

32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)

Processing modes referring to the size of each instruction processed by the CPU. 32-bit CPUs replaced earlier 16-bit CPUs and were used through the 1990s to the present day, though most PC and laptop CPUs now work in 64-bit mode. The main 64-bit platform is called AMD64 or EM64T (by Intel). Software can be compiled as 32-bit or 64-bit. 64-bit CPUs can run most 32-bit software, but a 32-bit CPU cannot execute 64-bit software.

Windows Editions

Feature restrictions applied to Windows to distinguish different markets, pricing, and licensing models, such as home versus professional versus enterprise.

Feature Updates

Release paradigm introduced for Windows 10 where significant changes and new features are distributed via Windows Update on a semiannual schedule.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)

In PC terms, companies that sell Windows co-branded under their own logo. OEM Windows licenses are valid only on the system that the software was installed on, and the OEM must provide support.